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Friday, June 10, 2016

The builder is God

3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son (Heb 3:3-6).

Here's a subtle argument for the deity of Christ. On the one hand it sets up a comparison between God the Father and Christ. On the other hand it sets up a comparison and contrast between Moses and Christ.

It plays on different connotations of the "house" metaphor. At one level, the house is the world. The cosmos. The world is mankind's home. This is where we live. God made the house.

At another level, it connotes the "house of Israel". The passage is, in part, riffing off of Num 12:7 ("Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house").

Although Moses was Israel's greatest prophet, Israel's paradigm prophet, he was just a member of Israel's household. Just a creature. Just a servant. Just a member of the family.

By contrast, Jesus is the Son. He stands "over" the Father's house. Jesus is to the builder as Moses is to the dweller. Yet the builder is divine.

Although we might think fidelity is a merely human virtue, Scripture also stresses divine fidelity as a divine virtue. To be faithful to God is commendable because God is faithful to his people.

3 comments:

One thing about "HIS" house and those dwelling in it that has caught my attention these in these days, especially the variety of debate Trump, Clinton and Sanders have brought to the table is this "house rule" among the many:::>

Deu 14:27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. Deu 14:28 "At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. Deu 14:29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

What is interesting about those verses is the untarnished nature of what the "deity" of this house expects when the understanding of it comes our way once we grasp the fidelity of those words and our infidelity of duty towards the "other" occupants in the house. :)

When is the last time you ever thought about your charity giving, that richest of treasure, the money you either earned by work or by endowment, was not only for the paid ministers of your church house but also for non-believers, the so so sojourners, fatherless and widows scattered around the cities and towns of this fallen wicked world?

If you go further into this topic, or "house duty", you can gain even greater insights into it by looking at what Deuteronomy 15 has to say about it.

Here's a good summation of this house duty from the wisdom the LORD imparted into the Apostle Paul's spirit, he who walked the walked he talked:::>

Act 20:32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Act 20:33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. Act 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. Act 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"